Music-lea



E. E. HELFRlCH.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY3. I918.

1 06,482. Patented June 10, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-ELME.R E. HELFRICH, OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA.

Music-LEAF TURNER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER E. HELFRIOH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phoenix, in the county of Maricopa, State of Arizona, have invented certain new" and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art tovwhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement in music leaf turners and has for'one of its objects to; provide a device of improved construction wherein the sheets or leaves of music are adapted to be readily and quickly turned and wherein the turning mechanism is normally inclosed in a frame or base 'so that the device will present an artistic appearance inzconformity with the instrument to which it is attached.

Another object is the provision of a device of this character which is simple in construotion, easy to manufacture and effective in carrying out the purpose for which it is designed. v V iThe inventive idea involved is capable of receiving anvariety of *mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a' fragmentary frontelevation of .a piano showing the device attached thereto.

Fig.2 is a top plan view of the device partly broken away.

the line Fig. 8 is a transverse section on of Fig.2. Fig.4 is a horizontal section on the line 44: of Fig.1. 8

Fig. 5 is a section .on the line 5' 5 of Fig.2.

Fig. G is a detailed perspective view of the actuating member for the leaf turning arms.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates conventionally a piano having the usual rack .11 upon which the device embodied in the present invention is mounted although it will be understood that said device may be applied to other instruments'as well.

The leaf turner which comprises the essential feature of the invention consists of a frame or base 12 made of any suitable material such as metal and formed from an Specification of Letters Patent.

parallel with the plates 13 "positioned in a similar manner.

with clips the under Patented June 10, 1919.

Application filed May 3, 1318. Serial No. 232,263.

edges by the wall 16 while the intermediate and top plates are connected by'the rear wall 17 thus forming a lower compartment 18 open at its rear side and an upper compartment l9 opened at its front side. The bottom and intermediate plates 13 and let are preferably of equal widths and greater in width than the top plate 15 and said bottom plate has depending therefrom a pair of brackets 20 curved to engage the rack 11 of the piano whereby to support the frame 12 in a substantially horizontal position thereon. The top plate 15 has secured thereto adjacent each end a clip 21 adapted to receive the front and back leaves of a sheet of music to properly retain the same upon the piano, it being understood that these front and back leaves are not turned when playing the selection.

Mounted for rotation in the compartment 18 is a pair of superposed disks 22 and 23,

the former having a central laterally proecting sleeve 24 rotatable in the intermediate plate l i and through which extends the shaft ,or pivot 25 of t 'e disk 23, said shaft also having a bearing in the top plate 15 and by so mounting the disks 22 and 23 it will be apparent that the same will rotate in planes and 14. The upper end of the sleeve 24 has secured thereto one end of a leaf turning arm 26 normally positioned within the compartment 19 and extending longitudinally thereof and the upper end of the shaft or pivot 25 also has a similar arm27 secured thereto and normally The free ends of the arms 26 and 27 are provided or fasteners 28 adapted, respectively, to engage the first and second leaves of the sheet of music to be turned. The disk 22 is provided adjacent its periphery with a plurality of upwardly directed pins 29 and surface of the disk 23 is likewise provided with the downwardly extending and spaced pins 30 for a purpose which will presently appear. It is proposed to rotate the disks 22 and 23 through arcs of approximately one. hundred and eighty degrees to turn the arms 26 and 27 from right to left and, to this end, there is preferably provided a disk actuating member 31 mounted for slldmg movement withln the compartment 18 at the front thereof and adjusted to alter-.

this arrangement it will be apparent that 7 these series of teeth arranged instaggered relation with respect to each other so as to be brought into successive operatlve engagement with the pins 29 and 30, the teeth '35 engaging the former pins while the teeth 36 engage the latter. The actuating member 31 is normally held in an inoperative position at the right of the frame 12 and is releasable, in a manner to appear in the course of the description, to. slide to the left of the frame so that the series of teeth 35 and 36 will'alternately and successively engage the pins 29 of the disk 22 and pins 30 of the disk 23. This movement of the actuating member31 is accomplishedby a coilspring 37 secured at one end to the left end of the actuating member and .its other end to the left end of the frame 12 and said spring is normally under tension so that when the actuating member is released the same will be drawn to the left and cause engagement of the teeth 35 with the pins 29 and thus rotate thedisk 22 to impart a similar movement to the arm 26 and turn the leaf to which said arm is attached. After the disk 22 has been turned the movement of the actuating member 31 is stopped, in a mamierto presently appear, and upon again releasing said member the teeth 36 will engage the pins 30 of the disks 23 and rotate thesame in a manner similar to that of the disk 22 thus accomplishing the adjustment of the arm 27 Means are provided for guiding the member 31 in its movements and for returning the same to normal position and said means preferably comprises a knob or handle. 38

projecting from the wall 32 of the member 31 and through an elongated slot 39 formed in the wall 16 of the frame 12 so that said knob may be grasped to return the actuating member to its normal position whichj'will have the effect of also returning the disk 23 and 22 to their normal positions by the engagement first of the teeth 36 with the pins 30 and then the engagement of the teeth 35 with thepins 29. I

The means for normally retaining the actuating member 31 in its position at'the right of the frame 12 and for releasing the which opening is located at a point adjacent necessary to immediatelyrelease the pressure the right. ,1.

"same for" movement to the left preferably comprises a tube 40 depending from the bottom plate 13 and havingits upper end surrounded by an opening 41 in said plate the extreme left end of the actuatingmem ber 31 when the same is in its normal position. The lower end of the tube 40 has an extension 40, the free end of which engages the piano rack in order to brace the attachment. Movable vertically in the tubular member 40 is a detent or rod 42 the upper end of which projects through the opening 41' into the path of movement of the actuating member 31 and engages the same to pre vent such'movement. The lower end of the detent or rod 41'is connected to a small depressible lever 43 pivoted to the tube 40 and disposed above the keyboard of the piano 10 so as to be within easy reachof the player and said lever is normally maintained in a raised position by means of a spring 44 which exerts an upward pressureupon the detent 42 to retain the same in its operative position By depressing the lever 43 it will be apparent that the detent 42 willbe moved downwardly and out of the path of the actuating member 31 whereupon the s ring 37 will draw said member to the let to en gage the teeth 35 with the pins 29 and rotate the disk 22. In order to stop the m ove ment of the actuating member so that the disk 23 will not be turned until it is desired to turn the leaf attached to thearm 27, it is upon the lever 43 so that the detent 42 will return toward its normal'position and engage the bottom side 34 of the actuating member. This side 34 is provided with an opening 45 which,"inthe movement of the actuating member 31 toward the left, passes over the opening 41 and when registered with the same the 'detent will extend into said opening and prevent further movement of the actuating member until the lever 43 is againvdepressed, To'return the leaves of the music, to the'right, it is only necessary to depress the lever 43 and move the knob 38 and consequently the actuating member to i What is claimed isz N 1. A music leaf turner comprising a frame including superposed plates forming upper and lower compartments therebetween, a front and a rearwall for the lower and upper compartments, respectively,.leaf turning armspivotally mounted in the .upper compartment, rotatable elements mounted in the other'eompartments and movable with respect to each other, each of said rotatable elements supporting one of said arms, an actulating member slidable longitudinally of .the

compartment in which the rotatable elements are mounted and alternately engageable therewithto rotate the same'whereby to successively turn the arms to which they are attached, and a spring for sliding said actuating member.

2. A music leaf turner comprising a frame including superposed plates forming upper and lower compartments therebetween, a front and a rear Wall for the lower and upper compartments, respectively, leaf turning arms pivotally mounted in the upper compartment, rotatable elements mounted in the other compartments and movable with respect to each other, each of said rotatable elements supporting one of said arms, an actuating member slidable longitudinally of the compartment in which the rotatable elements are mounted and alternately engageable therewith to rotate the same whereby to successively turn the arms to which they are attached, a trip device normally retaining said actuating member inactive, and a spring for sliding said actuating member when said trip device is operated. 1

3. A music leaf turner comprising a frame including a plurality of superposed plates forming upper and lower compartments therebetween, a front and a rear wall for the lower and upper compartments, respectively,

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the a pairof superposed disks mounted for rotation in the lower compartment and having pins extending therefrom in opposite directions, leaf turning arms connected to said disks and rotatable therewith and positioned in the upper compartments an actuating member slidably mounted in the lower compartment and having upper and lower sides provided with series of teeth arranged in staggered relation to alternately engage the pins of the respective disks to successively rotate the same, a detent normally in engagement with the actuating member to retain the same inactive and adjustable to permit of the operation thereof, means for returning the detent toward its retaining position after operated whereby to permit of only one series of teeth engaging its pins at a time, and a spring connected to said actuating member for actuating the same when released.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER E. HE-LFRIOH. Witnesses:

Bnnyn PROUTY, L. J. Cox.

Washington, D. (1.

Commissioner of Patents, 

